The game was designed around nothing LESS than 4 7/8 corner pockets and THAT is a fact- you can play on anything you want, but anyone less than a pro or very close; will not get their 100 ball runs very often on less than 4 7/8 due to aspects of the game requiring break out speeds at times, cheat the pocket position, combos, down table shot elections, etc. that come up often in long run situations.
When old timers talk of " every neighborhood having a 100 ball runner-" they refer to the 4 7/8 pocket standard on older felt cloth, not Simonis cloth either.
If you are running 20 to 30 balls fairly often on 4 1/2 pockets and really fast cloth - try for a month on 4 7/8 and a bit slower cloth and I guarantee the 14.1 game becomes much more enjoyable as you see the runs mount into the 50s - not talking anything but enjoying an experience in pocket billiards for those that are humble enough to accept their shortcomings and really love the game at the same time. You will experience some great dead stroke 14.1 run mania that is a natural high for the pool player in you!

Aside from the the pocket width issue, one thing that bugs me is the way some Brunswick tables with plastic pocket liners will spit the ball back at you when shot straight in forcefully (something that never happens with leather).

Curious to see what size bucket people are playing on when it comes to their practice or playing time with this game.

The main tables i play on in a pool room where the general public plays on measure out at 4 3/4, we do have another table at 4.5 which i practice on, and we also have one at 4" which we use for 1 Pocket. and then there's the one Bucket Table that's 5", which we all run a lot of balls on !!

Aside from the the pocket width issue, one thing that bugs me is the way some Brunswick tables with plastic pocket liners will spit the ball back at you when shot straight in forcefully (something that never happens with leather).

I used to play at a place with furniture-style Olhausen tables with leather pockets. The side pockets were known for spitting out perfectly centered balls.

Might have something to do with what type/shape of material the leather is applied to. The antique Schmitt tables with leather nets I played on as a youth would never spit out balls unless you were lazy about emptying the pockets.